Phil Davies

United Kingdom

Freelance Travel Journalist at Freelance

Reporter at Travel Weekly (UK)

Award-winning travel/cruise industry journalist, editor & media trainer. Working for Travel Weekly among others.

Articles

Hertz chief to join easyJet board

1 day ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

A leading car hire executive is joining the board of easyJet. Elyes Mrad is executive vice president of Hertz International, where he oversees the company’s business in EMEA, LATAM and Asia Pacific. He will join the budget carrier as a non-executive director and member of the audit committee from June 1. Before joining Hertz, Mrad held managing director roles at Certares, a leading private equity firm focused on the hospitality and travel industry, and American Express Global Business Travel.
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays start international litter clean up

2 days ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays staff at home and abroad are being encouraged to pick up litter. The new ‘Big Jet2 Clean Up’ initiative is being run in collaboration with non-profit partner Planet Patrol. Workers, who are based across multiple countries, are being encouraged to pick up items of single-use litter such as plastic, cans and wrappers, and record what they find by type, material and location through Planet Patrol’s free app.
Gatwick ranked ‘worst for delays’ for second year

3 days ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

Gatwick has been ranked as the worst UK airport for flight delays for a second year in succession. Flights departed on average more than 23 minutes late from the country’s second-busiest airport, according to analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data. Gatwick’s 2024 average delay was an improvement from the nearly 27 minutes in the previous 12 months as the airport’s air traffic control services provider Nats tackled staff shortages that had affected flights.
Strike by Tenerife hotel workers triggers travel alert

1 week ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

A travel alert has been issued over an Easter weekend strike by hotel workers in Tenerife involved in a pay dispute. The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) amended its travel advice for Spain, saying:“Industrial action is planned in the hospitality sector in Tenerife over the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Potential sale of Audley Travel ‘put on hold’ amid upheaval in stock markets

1 week ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

Investment firm 3i Group has reportedly postponed the sale of Audley Travel as upheaval in global stock markets created too much uncertainty in company valuations. The private equity firm had been hoping to raise £600 million from the sale, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the development. Bankers have been shelving many deals affected by the market volatility caused by US trade policy in recent weeks.
Domestic flight connections added to Fred Olsen Med fly-cruises

1 week ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

Domestic flight connections have been added as part of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ 2025 Mediterranean fly-cruise programme. Departures from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Newcastle to Heathrow will connect with flights serving ships. Passengers fly to the London hub to meet their onward journey to the Mediterranean. The company has ships sailing from various ports in the Med this year, including Civitavecchia - the port for Rome - Rhodes and Valencia.
Union secures ‘significant’ pay hike for Edinburgh airport workers

1 week ago | travelweekly.co.uk | Phil Davies

A “significant pay” deal for around 350 Edinburgh airport workers has been secured by the Unite union. The union negotiated a pay award which delivers a 5.8% rise in basic pay along with a similar increase being applied to shift allowances. The staff deal with passengers directly in airport security, terminal operations, search areas and process them for flights. Those set to receive the pay increase also screen all deliveries, and deal with airside support services.
Celestyal makes three-year commitment...

1 week ago | connectingtravel.com | Phil Davies

Cruise line to promote Arabian Gulf as region is tipped to attract record passengersCruise operator Celestyal has committed to maintaining Abu Dhabi as a winter home port as part of sailing schedules in the Gulf. A three-year agreement with The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) was confirmed in April 2025 at the Seatrade Global conference in Miami.
Hurtigruten moves closer to 2030...

1 week ago | connectingtravel.com | Phil Davies

Details released of 'Sea Zero' concept shipHurtigruten has set out plans to design a ship that can sail emission-free in normal operations on the Norwegian coast by 2030. Large battery packs, retractable sails, air lubrication systems, contra-rotating propellers and an “energy-optimised” hull are among the innovations being evaluated for operations on the 12-day return route between Bergen and Kirkenes. The ‘Sea Zero’ concept aims to cut energy by between 40% to 50% compared to today’s ships.
Hurtigruten evaluates 2030... | Connecting Travel

1 week ago | connectingtravel.com | Phil Davies

Details released of 'Sea Zero' concept shipHurtigruten has set out plans to design a ship that can sail emission-free in normal operations on the Norwegian coast by 2030. Large battery packs, retractable sails, air lubrication systems, contra-rotating propellers and an “energy-optimised” hull are among the innovations being evaluated for operations on the 12-day return route between Bergen and Kirkenes. The ‘Sea Zero’ concept aims to cut energy by between 40% to 50% compared to today’s ships.